Substrate processing method

Abstract

A substrate processing method capable of filling a gap structure without forming voids or seams in a gap while minimizing damage to the gap structure includes: forming a first thin film on a structure by performing a first cycle a plurality of times, the first cycle including supplying a first reaction gas onto the structure including a gap and purging a residue, forming a second thin film by changing a chemical composition of the first thin film, and forming a third thin film having the same component as that of the second thin film on the second thin film while filling the gap.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate processing method comprising:
 providing a substrate comprising a structure comprising a gap;   forming a first thin film on the structure by performing a first cycle a plurality of times, wherein the first cycle comprises:
 supplying a first reaction gas onto the structure, 
 supplying a second reaction gas, wherein the second reaction gas has no chemical reactivity with the first reaction gas, 
 stopping supplying the first reaction gas, 
 after stopping the first reaction gas, applying a plasma, wherein the plasma is formed from a gas comprising the second reaction gas, and 
 a step of purging; 
   after performing the first cycle a plurality of times, performing a second cycle a plurality of times to form a second thin film by changing a chemical composition of the first thin film, wherein the second cycle comprises:
 supplying a third reaction gas onto the substrate, and
 a step of purging. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing method of  claim 1 , wherein the plasma is formed from a gas consisting essentially of the second reaction gas. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 after performing the second cycle a plurality of times, performing a super cycle a plurality of times, wherein the super cycle comprises performing a third cycle a plurality of times to form a passivation layer followed by the fourth cycle a plurality of times,   wherein the third cycle comprises supplying a thin-film formation inhibitor gas comprising nitrogen.   
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing method of  claim 3 , wherein there are no intervening steps between performing the second cycle a plurality of times and performing the super cycle a plurality of times. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing method of  claim 1 , wherein the third reaction gas comprises at least one of O 2 , O 3 , CO 2 , H 2 O, NO 2 , N 2 O, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate processing method of  claim 1 , wherein the second cycle comprises consists essentially of a step of supplying a third reaction gas onto the substrate and a step of purging. 
     
     
         7 . The substrate processing method of  claim 1 , wherein, after performing the second cycle a plurality of times, performing a fourth cycle a plurality of times to form a third thin film having a same component as that of the second thin film on the second thin film while filling the gap. 
     
     
         8 . The substrate processing method of  claim 3 , wherein the thin-film formation inhibitor gas is supplied under a pulsed high-frequency power condition. 
     
     
         9 . The substrate processing method of  claim 8 , wherein the passivation layer is formed on a second thin film in an upper portion of the gap, wherein the passivation layer inhibits the forming of the third thin film on the second thin film in the upper portion of the gap by removing bonding sites on the second thin film that bind to the first reaction gas, wherein low-frequency power is supplied during the forming of the third thin film. 
     
     
         10 . The substrate processing method of  claim 1 , wherein the second reaction gas consists essentially of an inert gas. 
     
     
         11 . The substrate processing method of  claim 1 , wherein the first reaction gas comprises an aminosilane-based silicon-containing source gas comprising a methyl group or an ethyl group. 
     
     
         12 . The substrate processing method of  claim 1 , wherein the first cycle consists essentially of the step of supplying the first reaction gas onto the structure, a step of supplying a second reaction gas onto the structure, a step of applying a plasma, and the step of purging the residue. 
     
     
         13 . The substrate processing method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the third film continues until the third film fills the gap, wherein during the filling of the gap, a width of an inlet at the upper portion of the gap is maintained to be greater than a lower width of the gap, wherein the gap is filled without voids or seams being generated in the gap. 
     
     
         14 . The substrate processing method of  claim 1 , wherein gases supplied during the first cycle consist essentially of the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas. 
     
     
         15 . The substrate processing method of  claim 1 , wherein the first thin film is thermally and chemically adsorbed on the structure and then the second reaction gas is activated by plasma, thereby decomposing and densifying the thermally and chemically adsorbed first thin film by the activated second reaction gas. 
     
     
         16 . The substrate processing method of  claim 7 , wherein forming the third thin film comprises supplying the first reaction gas and the third reaction gas. 
     
     
         17 . A substrate processing method comprising:
 providing a substrate in a reaction chamber;   forming a first thin film on the substrate, wherein forming the first thin film comprises:
 supplying a first reaction gas, 
 supplying a second reaction gas comprising an inert gas, and 
 applying an inert gas plasma; 
   after forming the first thin film, changing the chemical composition of the first thin film, wherein changing the chemical composition of the first thin film comprises:
 supplying a third reaction gas comprising oxygen; 
   after changing the chemical composition of the first thin film, forming a second thin film on the first thin film.   
     
     
         18 . The substrate processing method of  claim 17 , wherein the first reaction gas comprises an aminosilane-based silicon-containing source gas comprising a methyl group or an ethyl group. 
     
     
         19 . A substrate processing method comprising:
 providing a substrate in a reaction chamber;   forming a first thin film on the substrate, wherein forming the first thin film comprises:
 supplying a first reaction gas, 
 supplying a second reaction gas comprising an inert gas, and 
 applying an inert gas plasma; 
   after forming the first thin film, changing the chemical composition of the first thin film, wherein changing the chemical composition of the first thin film comprises:
 supplying a third reaction gas comprising oxygen; 
   after changing the chemical composition of the first thin film, forming a passivation layer on the first thin film, wherein forming a passivation layer comprises a thin film formation inhibitor gas.   
     
     
         20 . The substrate processing method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 after forming the passivation layer, forming a second thin film, wherein the second thin film comprises a same component as the first thin film.